Kalonzo arrives in London ahead of Chatham House keynote address

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has arrived in London, United Kingdom, for a series of engagements focused on strengthening economic partnerships and attracting investment to Kenya and the wider East African region.

Kalonzo, who also leads The Ukombozi Alliance (TUA), will on Tuesday, October 13, deliver a keynote address at Chatham House on the opposition's outlook and policy agenda ahead of the 2027 General Election.

According to a statement issued by Wiper Patriotic Front spokesperson Ndegwa Njiru, Kalonzo’s address, titled ‘The Opposition's Outlook and Policy Agenda on the Road to 10 August 2027,’ is expected to outline the opposition's policy priorities as Kenya approaches the next election.

The engagements come as political parties and leaders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 polls, with economic policy, investment and governance expected to feature prominently in the political discourse.

Wiper said the visit underscores Kalonzo's commitment to advancing international partnerships, strengthening Kenya's economic prospects and articulating a policy agenda for the country's future.

Following his arrival n Monday evening, Kalonzo attended a reception at the House of Commons, where he served as the chief guest at an event hosted by the Westminster Africa Business Group in partnership with the Eastern Africa Association.

The reception, hosted by Conservative MP for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge Gavin Williamson, focused on Kenya's position as a regional financial hub and the future of East African capital markets.

Addressing the gathering, the Wiper boss called for a shift in how Kenya and its international partners approach investment, arguing that the country should mobilise domestic resources alongside foreign capital to finance economic development.

“Kenya is no longer simply a country in which others invest. It is a country whose own savings, pension funds, financial institutions, enterprises and diaspora can help finance the transformation of our region,” he said.

He argued that Nairobi was well-positioned to become a regional financial centre, citing Kenya’s banking system, pension assets and diaspora remittances as resources that could support businesses, infrastructure and emerging enterprises.

However, the TUA leader warned that poor governance, wasteful spending and a lack of accountability were undermining the country’s economic prospects.

“Kenya is not short of wealth. We are short of a system that puts our wealth to work for our people,” Kalonzo said, pointing to the country’s public debt burden and the high cost of servicing loans.

He cited figures showing that debt servicing consumed approximately US$13.2 billion (Ksh.1.7 trillion) out of US$18.6 billion (Ksh.2.4 trillion) in government revenue during the 2024/25 financial year, arguing that the expenditure left fewer resources for essential services, including healthcare and education.

Kalonzo also questioned the management of strategic public assets, insisting that Kenya should welcome foreign investment while safeguarding national interests and ensuring transparent procurement processes.

“The issue is not whether foreign companies should invest in Kenya. They should. The issue is whether national assets are managed transparently, competitively and in the public interest,” he said.

He further called for stronger regional integration, urging East African Community member states to harmonise capital market regulations, facilitate cross-border listings and ease the movement of capital to unlock investment opportunities across the region.

Kalonzo proposed deeper cooperation between Kenyan and British financial markets, a Kenyan-shilling-denominated infrastructure bond accessible to investors in London and Nairobi, and mechanisms to channel diaspora savings into productive projects at home.

He said such initiatives should support local enterprises, create jobs and strengthen Kenya’s productive capacity rather than increase the country’s debt burden.

“We are not asking Britain to build Kenya for us. We are inviting Britain to build with us—as partners, not patrons; through investment, not extraction; and in pursuit of prosperity that both our peoples can share,” he said.